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Android

Submission + - Evi for iOS and Android, Better than Siri? (ibtimes.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Evi Artificial Intelligence from True Knowledge, launched on Monday for iOS devices in the Apple App Store and as a beta for Android smartphones, is the latest creation in voice-activated personal assistants and some say it is better than Siri due to the exactness of its answers. Evi works similar to Siri, in that the user taps a microphone on the touch screen to prompt a search, in addition to a text input option. However, “unlike a search engine, which simply looks for matching words and shows you a list of websites, Evi understands what you want to know and gives back exactly what you're after,” according to the makers. For example, when Siri is asked how to make an apple pie, it simply searches the Web or provides nearby bakeries. Evi, however, caters to the users’ exact demand and gives a list of recipes. One caveat with Evi is that it cannot add reminders or important dates to iPhone Calendars yet, but surely True Knowledge will fix the bug. Evi costs $.99 in the App Store and is currently free in the Android Market.
Security

Submission + - Network of Typo Squatting Domains Discovered (net-security.org)

Submitted by Orome1
Orome1 writes: A network of some 7,000 typo squatting domains is being used by scammers to effectively drive traffic towards their scammy sites, some of which get so much traffic that they managed to enter Alexa's top 250 list of sites with the largest Web traffic, say Websense researchers. The typo squatting domains take advantage of the "fat-fingered" visitors of popular websites and redirect them to spam survey sites. From there, the users are taken to sites with spam advertisements and greyware masquerading as free downloads of legitimate software such as movie downloaders.
Security

Submission + - Wasting Hackers' Time to Keep Websites Safe (technologyreview.com)

Submitted by wjousts
wjousts writes: A new security start-up, Mykonos Software, is pushing a new approach to handling hackers. Instead of blocking them, it proposes instead to waste their time by feeding them false information until they give up.

As reported in Technology Review:

As a promotional tool to impress potential clients, Mykonos engineers have built versions of the company's software that taunt attackers. One directs a hacker to a Google Maps search for nearby criminal attorneys. Another parodies Microsoft's now-defunct anthropomorphic paper clip, Clippy, with the message: "It looks like you're an unsophisticated script kiddie. Do you need help writing code?"

Their tactics include placing supercookies on suspected attackers computers.

There are few things hackers hate more than being taunted. So is this a valid strategy? Or is it waiving a red cloak at a bull?
HP

Submission + - HP Pays $425k to Settle Faulty Battery Claims (itworld.com)

Submitted by
itwbennett
itwbennett writes: "In agreeing to the settlement, HP denied that the 32,000 lithium-ion batteries it recalled posed an unreasonable risk or that it had violated federal reporting requirements by waiting almost a year to report the problem after learning about incidents involving the batteries. With respect to the recall, HP said in the agreement that it acted 'in accordance with the CPSA and in its customers' best interests.'"
Your Rights Online

Submission + - Why MegaUpload Was Really Shut Down (google.com)

Submitted by
David Gerard
David Gerard writes: "In December of 2011, just weeks before the takedown, Digital Music News reported on something new that the creators of Megaupload were about to unroll. Something that would rock the music industry to its core: MegaBox. MegaBox was going to be an alternative music store that was entirely cloud-based and offered artists a better money-making opportunity than they would get with any record label — "allowing artists to keep 90 percent of earnings.""

Comment My poor lvl 70 lock ... (Score 1) 276

I played for nearly three years in WoW's earlier days. I started about the time of the Hakkar Blood Plague.

I enjoyed the story and the leveling, but after BC was released, there was a rush to push up to the new level cap. The expansion didn't add to the story – it just added more grinds. I finally quit when I realized I was paying to go to another job every day.

My kids play occasionally now on the free trial accounts, and they want me to pay for a sub so they can level a Worgen. I've told them I might pay for a month during Christmas break, but we won't get the expansions. With this next one, I'd need to pay hundreds before I even paid for any game time.

Blizzard doesn't realize their current model is prohibitive to new players. Even with Battle Chests, to get the full game experience, requires new players to purchase WoW, BC, Wraith, Cataclysm and now Panda. With each costing ~40 you're looking at a nearly $200 barrier of entry.

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